The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-26
FRIVOLOUS CONTESTS MADE BY GRANT
PERFORMERS"

FRIVOLOUS CONTESTS MADE BY GRANT
PERFORMERS"
The Nichols Chairman of the Parish
Convention Recognizes PIimsv Con-
tests from All But One of the McEnery
Wards to Secure a Majority-The Con-
vention Reorganized and Proper Dele
gates Elected.
CoLFAx, Nov. 90, 1887.
The parish convention met here yesterday,
and the Nichols people repeated their Caddo
trick of recognizing delegates who had never
been elected, and refusing recognition to
those who had, in order to control the body.
The regularly selected delegates, composing
the majority of the convention, refused to
be thus oyerrldden, and reorganized the
committee. A new chairman was selected by
sixteen of the twenty-five delegates elected
to the conventions, and the meeting then pro-
| ceeded to the election Of three delegates to
the State Convention.
The fimsy pretext upon which the so-called
''reformers" base their claim to representa-
zion in the State Convention can be seen by
the following history Of the ward meetings
held in this parish on the 10th instant, and
the proceedings Of the parish convention
which assembled here on the 10th.
In the first wards- with four delegates, Mr..
Fl. G. Goodwin, editor Of the Colfax Chron-
fcle, and chairman of the parish committee,
advertised the mass meeting for IL a. m. A
number Of citizens arrived and waited until
after 12 O'Clock. They found the courthouse
locked and the key in the possession of the
Nichols party. They became impatient and
rung the courthouse bell. After waiting
awhile longer the sheriff at the request of
the citizens got into the window and opened
the door.
Then Mr.. Goodwin came in and called the
meeting to order. Messrs. Teal n han
dolph secured the floor and demanded reeog-
milton, but the chairman recognized MIR.
Wickliffe, who Immediately began to speak
against time. There was objection, but the
speaker declared he had the floor, and, if
necessary, would speak until midnight. He
finally ceased his harangue and the meeting
proceeded to business.
The first question to be decided was who
We're entitled to participate. Mr.. WieklHfe
the party ever since the election of Nichols
in 1876, and whose right to vote at Demo
cratic primaries had been passed upon
in the Witt election. Men who had voted
for delegates to the convention that NOM
mated Blanchard at Natchitoches were also
challenged.
The Nichols wing chose as chairman a
mxn VINO came to Grant parish with the
troops, said to be q Republican at that time,
and at the first special election for district
Judge, ard participated in 9 mass meeting
for the nomination; he then bolted the
the orphan or lonesome ticket for Judge
Bowman. The man chosen as secretary OF
the meeting offered to vote on an affidavit
for. John A. Stevenson In tine last guberna-
division in the same building took place,
End the majority proceeded to the election OF
chairman. y; q. Randolph, a resident OF
Grant for twelve years and q resident OF the
State for thirty-ive years., who had never
voted any other ticket but the Democrat1c
ticket, was electeDpresident. and the first
Il. Z. Randolph and Z. Price, Of Colfax, and
Robert dDSage as delegates to the parish
, convention. The Nichols men contested the
seating OF these delegates.
t mass meeting assembled about noon, and
! Vim. Irwin was chosehechairman and John
/ Hadnot, secretary, witysaut objection. I
ing proceeded without objection. Upor
: counting out the votes McEnery had a ma
/ jority tthe count standing SO to 80, and the
: meeting adjourned sine die.
? In the evening of the same day some six
: teen or seventeen Nichols supporters got to
!. gether and elected another set of delegates.
/ In ward 8, which elected two, delegates
the meeting was held at the usual hour, ant
a very decided majority was cast Tor McEn
: ery-sti ID Claimed two to one. Nc notice b
!. any contest was entered and. the meetlnS
: adjourned. the Nichols men admitting tlel
Ia the fourth ward, with two delegates, thu
! meeting was held at the usual hour, and tWt
I McEnery delegates elected. There were Ut
4 contests.
In ward 5 the meeting assembled ant
7 elected a Nichols delegate. the ward beini
q entitled to q single vote.
1 In ward g, which had three delegates,
N v.oaR;nr rrao rarJlarly rpifpd ThPTl
! were no objections or contests raised. and tn
: meeting elected three McE.nery delegates b.
: q decided majority. No other ticket wa
Z In ward Montgomeryl, = Nichols strong
. hold. q mass meeting OF citizens elected nv
q Nichols delegetss
b pasish eonvent RSn assem naoso n 0s aH ~
All attempt at compromise .by several fair
minded men on each side before the meeting
! Of the convention. The NIcfolls peopl
e contest in wards | and 2, and proposed tina
the contes.ing delegations from those ward
be seated on a half vote. After conferrlnl
with some OF the NichoiIs Leaders gnat prope
sitiCn Was withdrawn by the friends OF GOV
q Nichols.
II mitfee, called the convention TO order, Z
II Dunn a. chairman. Col. Randolph's nam
e was suggested, but not beng 9 delegaee
Is was withdrawn, and MI. Dunn took ia
Z chair. Contests We're .n 3 ! n and ~ ~ s'o
. OILS Insn as 4 MI VII Is : rsam Z a NEE
IN ware L Z, y i; = III aya,.;pp Nv sixfee
Il ing ~ sa We aena men ~ "a after The regular NEE
OF sgssHse o5aata llsn dda1asataa without ohiet
: ing had eIecsed uelsgdseSs 49, M had baa
5s Won o I'll con n J sion 81 n contest. and the conte
N HEfiod was ns1ralv frivolous. This svas the chs
q also in. ward 6, where no other ticket va
Or run and no delegates were presented clain
rs ing seats on the Nichols side.
s. The contest was likewise purely, fr1Volou
a as to ward 8, where no opposition nag pee
es raised, the vote being TWO ~ one, AUG VIE
es the Nichols men had admitted their defea
e. Chairman p1nn eelaeS 81 ina sv .ne Nic, vi
II rafdnand ward a. with SW0 McEnGfy Gel